“Bad Boys” to Master Teachers: The Making of Black Male Teacher Identity

• In Event: Roundtable Session 100
  In Roundtable Session: Teaching in Urban Context: Teachers’ Beliefs, Identities, and Practices

Abstract

This research is motivated by a desire to address the diminishing presence of Black male teachers in urban schools. First, through an examination of the life history experiences of Black male teachers, this paper will shed light on the ways in which the participants understand and manage their multiple identities and how their identities may be shaped by their own schooling experiences. More specifically, it examines the life historical contexts through which four Black male teachers, who experienced troubles in school, make meaning of their identities as Black men and educators. Further, it sheds light on how their troubled schooling experiences influence their beliefs about the academic and social well being of Black male youth.

Author

• Thurman L. Bridges, Morgan State University